Survey Says American Travelers’ Security Concerns Low

A new survey from the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies finds U.S. travelers rank hotel cleanliness over security.

In the survey, Americans ranked cleanliness (43 percent) over security (11 percent) as the most important factor in selecting a hotel. Price and location were top factors for 23 percent and 19 percent of respondents, respectively.

"Travelers should take safety precautions more seriously, and travel security should be higher on their checklist than cleanliness," stated Jim Villa, a senior vice president and North American manager for Chubb's Accident & Healthbusiness, about the survey’s results.

Though airline security has been a prevalent concern since the 9/11 terrorist attack, which marks its 10th year this September, the Chubb Group’s survey finds a majority of Americans aren’t hesitant to fly on September 11, 2011.

Eighty-four percent said they would not refrain from traveling for business on that specific day. Fewer than one in five of Americans are fearful of flying on September 11, 2011, while only 16 percent are fearful about flying on an airplane on a national holiday.

18 percent would avoid entering a sports stadium or entertainment venue with a large crowd of people; 14 percent would not take a cruise; 11 percent would not take a train; 9 percent would avoid taking a ferry.

Chubb's survey of 1,000 participants was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, an independent firm, in June.